Going into the season, one of the question marks hovering over the Edmonton Oilers was concerning Darnell Nurse. Would the 22-year-old defenceman be able to handle more responsibility?
Nine games into the NHL regular season and the answer is yes.
“It’s been a good step, but that’s all it is. It’s just the beginning of the year. I have to continue to grow,” Nurse said on Friday. “It’s been pretty strong, but there’s a lot of room for improvement still.”
Nurse has never been shy about making an aggressive rush up ice, but he’s worked on making those charges more productive.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve done this year is I get the puck and take a deep breath and try to make a play, not so much try to force things,” Nurse explained.
“I think he’s done a very admirable job of entering the zone and creating for his teammates,” McLellan said. “That’s an area that can still improve. But again, he’s still young in his evolution of being a full-time NHL defenceman.”
Nurse has now played 124 NHL games. This season, he’s averaging 19:36 minutes per game, which is third-most amongst Oilers blue-liners after Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson.
The Oilers (3-5-1) will host the Washington Capitals (4-5-1) on Saturday at 8 p.m. Catch the game live on 630 CHED.